A coalition made up of groups in the nineteen states of Northern Nigeria is currently in Akwa Ibom on a facts finding mission.

Led by the National Coordinator, Alhaji Balarabe Rufai, members of the delegation are being conducted round project sites by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekerete Udoh, represented by the Special Assistant to Governor on Research and Documentation, Mr. Essien Ndueso, his counterparts incharge of New Media, Aniekeme Finbar and that of ICT, Solomon Eyo.

At the coconut Refinery, the delegation was conducted round the factory by the Facility Manager, Mr. Ozan,l Aydingenc who took the team through the production line of the factor, briefing the visitors on the progress so far made at the facility which is nearly completed.

Speaking to journalists at the Coconut oil factory, the leader of the Northern group, Alhaji Balarabe Rufai hailed Governor Udom Emmanuel for his foresight in facilitating the establishing of the factory, observing that job opportunities would be created for youths.

He charged other state governor’s in the country to emulate Governor Emmanuel.

“This is a wonderful thing the Governor is doing. I want to call on other governor’s to emulate it so that our youths would be gainfully engaged”.

Among facilities visited include, the I kilometre Ikot Oku Ikono flyover, Ekom Iman-Etinan road, the cable bridge at Ekpene Ukpa, before arriving at the Coconut Refinery.

Governor Udom Emmanuel has reassured that his government is working tirelessly to ensure that criminal elements are uprooted from the State.

Governor Emmanuel made this known on Saturday, during the Government House Monthly prayers, held at Latter House Chapel, Governor’s Lodge, Uyo.

The governor said no society is completely devoid of pockets of infractions, and warned that these should not be basis to discredit efforts of his government which strives to secure lives and property, rather the citizenry should cooperate with security agencies and give useful information to checkmate crime.

“Let me appreciate all the security agencies who are trying to help us, I received a call from some persons that armed robbers burgle their house they snatched a car.

“As government we are doing everything possible, if there are few cases we should not blow it out of proportion honestly. Let us support the security agencies, they are trying their best. The people should also help us with useful information so we can help others”, he stated.

The Chief Executive of the State also called for support from the people to encourage efforts of made by government to attract development into the state rather than engage in unconstructive criticism of government programmes and projects which are economically viable.

“Unfortunately we live in a society where people call evil good, and good evil. I keep telling people that there is a difference between cash and money and if you check any government on Planet earth that sits the way we do Nigeria will never progress.
You create the economy so that the people can live well.

“It is only in Nigeria we sit down and don’t think of how to create money, rather seek for where we will borrow money and put the burden on all.

“I went to Dubai trying to sign a transaction, you know what people did, and they mobilized next-of-kin of retired Primary School teachers to carry placards so they can put on social media to douse the good thing everybody is praising the state”.

The governor however stated that Akwa Ibom people should always express gratitude to God for peace enjoyed in the state and level of projects ongoing saying that with the post-covid era, most states do not have such projects ongoing to benefit the people.

“Let people learn how to appreciate God some people travelled to other states ask them during this rainy season if you can drive there but at least God loves us, here we can inter-connect all the Local Government Areas, it is good to criticize but most times it is good to turn around and thank God”, the governor said.

Speaking on the theme; Service – What we owe to God, this Land and One Another, culled from Eph: 6: 1-9 Prelate Isaiah Isong, described Governor Udom Emmanuel as a servant leader who is dedicated in his service to the people and is working tirelessly to produce a better people in the state.

Ibom Air, the indigenous Airline of the Akwa Ibom State Government of Nigeria, has placed an order for ten (10) A220 aircraft with Airbus, at the ongoing Dubai Air show, taking place at the purpose built DWC event arena in Dubai.

The agreement, which was signed today by the Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, Mr Mfon Udom and Chief Commercial Officer of Airbus, Mr Christian Scherer, was done in the presence of His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Uko Udom, SAN, and the Chairman of Ibom Air, Mr Imoabasi Jacob who led the Ibom Air team, which also included the airline’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr George Uriesi, the Group Manager Marketing and communication, Mrs Aniekan Essienette and the Group Manager Corporate Services, Mrs Imelda Aba.

Working in collaboration with the Airbus team, Ibom Air took an innovative approach to making the choice of the A220. The airline started by wet-leasing two (2) A220s for a year, to test the suitability of the aircraft for their needs. Within 6 months of this process, the airline was able to validate the A220 as the right choice for its domestic and regional aspirations. The order of the ten (10) Airbus A220 is in line with the airline’s aggressive growth plan, which will see it expanding its footprint into new domestic routes as well as regional routes covering West and Central Africa in the immediate future. The first phase of this expansion is set to cover cities like Malabo, Douala, Libreville, Kinshasa, Accra, Abidjan, Freetown, Banjul and Dakar. Ultimately the airline intends to operate throughout the continent of Africa.

The all-new A220 is purpose built for efficiency, targeting the 100-150 seat market. It burns 20% lower fuel per seat compared to previous generation aircraft and flies to a range of up to 3,400 nm (6,297 km), offering performance similar to larger, single-aisle aircraft. The A220s combination of a superior cabin product and low operating costs are a perfect fit for the airline’s network growth strategy and will help Ibom Air offer its customers an unrivaled value proposition.

His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State in his remarks stated “earlier in the year, we gathered to welcome the first Airbus into our fleet, and I must say that we are proud to be the first airline to order the all-new Airbus A220 in Nigeria. The A220 will allow us to increase the number of passengers into Akwa Ibom, thus bringing more first-time visitors and business travelers to the State. These efforts reflect our commitment to enabling local commerce and industry, in line with the State’s economic growth strategy. With this latest acquisition, Ibom Air is better positioned to contribute to driving long term economic growth for Akwa Ibom State. Ibom Air’s giant leap as evidenced by this bold step, is a validation of the aviation development pillar of our completion agenda which is on course. I have said and will reiterate that, till the very last day, I will keep working for and I’m the interest of Akwa Ibom people.

Also speaking at the announcement, the CEO of Ibom Air threw more light on the choice of the A220: “It gives me great pleasure to be here at the announcement of Ibom Air’s order for 10 Airbus A220s. We are pleased with the steep growth we have achieved in the two (2) years and five (5) months since we commenced operations, a growth mainly driven by the massive embrace of our product and brand by the Nigerian domestic flying public. As we contemplated the next phase of our expansion strategy, we gave consideration and opted to procure two (2) A220s on a one-year wet lease, in order to try out the aircraft to ensure it was fit for the purposes of our business. I am pleased to say here that the approach has been a huge success for us. We found out that not only can we fill up the aircraft, but it has also become a favorite in the Nigerian domestic market. Our passengers love it. And so, here we are today, ordering 10 A220s, having tested and validated it as the one stop solution for our domestic and regional aspirations.”

On his part, the Chief Commercial Officer of Airbus, Mr Christian Scherer said “we are thrilled to add Ibom Air as a new Airbus customer. The A220 is ideally suited to Nigeria’s aviation needs, providing operational flexibility, growing the business, and responding to demand for increased passenger services. Through this investment, Ibom Air is underscoring its ambition for regional and in due course, international connectivity, efficiency and versatility.”

With the purchase agreement signed, deliveries of the aircraft to Ibom Air will commence in the first quarter of 2023.

Annie Essienette
Group Manager Marketing and Communication

About Ibom Air
Ibom Air is a limited liability company wholly owned by the Akwa Ibom state Government, which aims to set the standard as an Airline of choice for passengers by focusing on schedule reliability, on-time performance, and excellent service with a vision to be A world-class, African regional airline and core values of Excellence, safety, Integrity, Passion and Innovation with a Mission to build a safe service-focused and profitable Airline. For more information visit: http://www.ibomair.com or Victor Attah International Airport Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, has commended the New Breed for Sustainable Development, a socio-political group in the state, for keying into the job creation and human capacity development mantra of his administration.

Governor Emmanuel dropped the commendation on Friday at the group’s Business And Entrepreneurship Summit/Graduation Ceremony for 330 first batch of trainees of the free skill acquisition programme sponsored by the organisation.

Represented by the Dean of Commissioners and Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Glory Edet, the State Governor lauded New Breed for supporting the state government in its bid to reduce unemployment while creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

He said his administration will not relent efforts in supporting entrepreneurship and hard work among youths in the state.

“It was the 2019 Democratic Presidential Candidate of the United States, Hillary Clinton that once said that it takes a village to raise a child. Today, I commend the New Breed family for this wonderful opportunity it has given to the youths of Akwa Ibom State to be trained in different skills that will not just create job opportunities for them, but for the generations to come.

“As youth friendly Governor, I am here because I believe in the youths of Akwa Ibom State, I believe in entrepreneurship and hard work. As a government, we are in full support of what is going on in New Breed”, he said.

He particularly commended the Founder of New Breed, Engr. Ekpenyong Udo Ekpenyong for placing emphasis on ICT and his contributions to the betterment of the state.

While advising the graduands to make good use of the knowledge acquired during their trainings, the Governor called on groups and individuals to join hands to boost what he described as productive tendencies.

“You are the true son of your father because people that knew your father, I’m sure they are not surprised by what you’re doing today. What you have done here speaks of your faith that individuals and groups should all join hands with the government and foster productive tendencies.

“I commend you for placing emphasis on ICT”, he added.

Earlier in his opening speech, Engr. Ekpenyong Udo Ekpenyong, said aside human capacity development, the group was committed to good governance through its support for the current administration in the state.

He congratulated the graduands who he noted have undergone serious entrepreneurial training which will ensure they remain self-sufficient and lauded the state government for its support.

Goodwill messages were also received from the PDP Legal Adviser, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem, Akwa Ibom PDP Chairman, Hon. Aniekan Akpan, Member representing Ukanafun State Constituency, Dr. Charity Ido, Commissioner Youths and Sports, Sir Monday Ebong Uko, Chairman of Ukanafun Local Government Council, Hon. Godwin Inyieng amongst others.

The well-attended event featured cultural performances, award presentation, interactive session, and presentation of certificates/ starter packs to the trainees.

A deal is underway for additional A220-300 series aircrafts to the fleet of Akwa Ibom State owned airline, Ibom Air, as Governor Udom Emmanuel remains upbeat in leaving enduring legacies in the state.

Governor Emmanuel dropped the hint while speaking at an event to mark the 85th birthday of the Paramount Ruler of Eket Local Government Area, Obong Etim Charles Daniel Abia, in his palace.

The Governor also disclosed his determination to ensure quality is not compromised in the Eket stadium project, international market project, roads and other development programmes in the area, stressing that the peculiarities of the terrain is being taken into consideration to ensure works done in the long abandoned area stand the test of time.

Appealing for patience, Mr Emmanuel assured that all the projects will be delivered and appreciated long after his tenure.

From records of the state’s finances, the Governor explained his administration has performed well with the construction companies handling projects in the state, but that issues of climate and weather conditions, the COVID pandemic and other natural occurrences have impacted on the pace of works.

“People have said a lot of things about developments and projects. Your Majesty, we have had major challenges in the past two years that we never envisaged in governance.

“The whole of 2020, nobody could do much because of COVID. That took into 2021 and in 2021 we were so poised for infrastructure development, but the volume of rainfall has been unprecedented”, the governor explained.

“The only reason I won’t be at the banquet is that as I’m leaving here, we’re signing fresh agreements that will give us ten brand new A220-300 Air Buses, so that even when I leave office, it will remain as an ensuring legacy”, he added.

Governor Emmanuel congratulated Obong Abia on his 85th birthday and spoke glowingly of the endearing characteristics of the Eket patriarch.

“In life, I watch out for two words in any leader and any human being, character and charisma. As a paramount ruler, that your character, to me, is that charm that inspires devotion in others, including me.

He maintained that charisma is outwardly seen and attracts, whereas character is inert and endears one to others, and maintained that Obong Abia is blessed with both attributes.

With these qualities, the Governor affirmed that the patriarch had united Eket people, as evident in his ability to bring together virtually all the Ekid elites in one event.

Governor Emmanuel lauded the Eket Royal Father’s initiative of using the special event to honour some illustrious sons of Ekid extraction with the prestigious title of “Mkpisong Ekid, stressing that at a stage in one’s life such recognitions of their trail in life outweighs material benefits, and congratulated the recipients.

The Governor expressed appreciation for the tremendous support from his people in Eket Federal Constituency and urged the elder and stakeholders to do their best to maintain peace so as to draw more positive developments to the area.

“On behalf of the government and good people of this state I say happy birthday to you, Your Majesty and long live the King”, Governor Emmanuel declared.

Obong E. C. D. Abia, in a birthday speech, thanked God, his wife and family.

He appreciated Governor Emmanuel and the Eket leaders for their support and commitment to serve Eket people Akwa Ibom State, and by extension all Nigerians.

Expatiating on the honour bestowed on the awardees, the Attah Ekid Afid said the title, Mkpisong, literally means Pillar of Progress and Leading Light in the community and establishes a class of leaders proudly recognized and honoured for leading roles in the affairs of Eket people and Akwa Ibom State.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has been commended by the immediate past President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on his development programmes in the state.

The former President, speaking at a special luncheon upon his reception, commended the pace of development in Akwa Ibom State under the leadership of Governor Udom Emmanuel.

Jonathan who was accompanied by wife, Patience, described the governor as a brilliant, competent gentleman that deserves to be encouraged for greater roles.

Dr. Jonathan, who is in the state for the annual conference of the Nigeria Environmental Society and the marriage ceremony of the first daughter of his long time friend and fellow pioneer student of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Richard King, stressed that given his acquaintance with the progress of Akwa Ibom since 1994, he is in a good position to judge the development of the state.

“You’re a gentleman, very competent person, a brilliant young man that needs to be encouraged and I believe he will continue to grow”, he stated.

“From what we read and from what we see, you are doing very well. If you come into Akwa Ibom, you see a state that is growing. From 1994 when I was employed as the Assistant Director of Environmental Protection, OMPADEC, till I left office, there was almost no year I didn’t come to Akwa Ibom, so I can monitor the development of Akwa Ibom and I’m quite pleased with the way the state is going”.

He prayed for Governor Emmanuel to have a good successor who will follow his good steps and continue to lead the state towards greater heights.

Welcoming the guests, Governor Emmanuel, expressed great pleasure on the visit of the former President, describing him as the pride of the country.

The governor also seized the opportunity to thank the former President and wife for identifying with him and his family during his father’s funeral, describing him as a great leader, a father and a brother.

Reflecting on the days of Goodluck Jonathan as President, Governor Emmanuel said Nigeria, in all indices, was better and expressed regrets that Nigerians have only come to realize what they have lost after his exit.

This, he referred to as ‘medicine after death.’

“I made a speech the other day. You know I like talking data. I analyzed the growth, the GDP, the exchange rate, by the time I finished the analyses, it was so clear that we did much better and today everybody, every eyes have seen how the economy has been debased.

“That’s why I say we feel proud of you anywhere we go to”.

MEGP: A Youth Empowerment Initiative after Governor Emmanuel’s Heart

Rev’d Richard Peters

The My Entrepreneurial Goals Programme (MEGP) is an entrepreneurial development training programme focused at identifying, empowering and certifying Akwa Ibom start-up and existing entrepreneurs to define clear-cut goals for their businesses.

Established to provide new and existing businesses with the right networks for partnership and education on basic business tools which would guide them in making good decisions for their businesses, MEGP stands out as one entity whose vision is to become a reliable platform serving the needs of start-up and growing businesses in Akwa Ibom and the length of the Niger-Delta Region.

From its creation, MEGP has helped Akwa Ibom start-up and growing businesses define their goals and objectives, rather than stay afloat without prerequisite knowledge and mentorship. As such, it has identified the business needs of thousands of Akwa Ibom youths and offered lasting solutions to them.

Managed by the duo of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Marketing & Brand Management, Mr. Ime Uwah and Special Assistant to Governor on Entrepreneurial Development, Mrs. Meflyn Anwana, the MEGP has given businesses the potential to grow without barriers through the creation of innovative and scalable businesses by offering continuous learning, networking and providing access to funding which they require to succeed in the global market. At the programme, entrepreneurs have an access to MEGP training, mentorship opportunities, network and the ability to raise capital. They are able to browse through mentorship request and connect with founders to support them, as well as program partners and are also able to discover great companies, opportunities and follow up with the founders directly.

Since its creation, the MEGP has graduated hundreds of young entrepreneurs who’ve acquired various skills and certifications. After their training, the entrepreneurs are expected to effectively communicate the ideas behind their business brands to qualify for business grants ranging from N500,000 to N150,000.

Few months ago, a number of them were presented with work tools and items to aid their respective entrepreneurial activities in the Project-Based Assistance (PBA) scheme of the Akwa Ibom State Youths Entrepreneurial Development Programme.
The beneficiaries were exhilarant as they received the items which included: generating sets, washing machines, industrial sewing machines, clutch motor, bundles of quality Ankara materials, and a hand mixer (soap-making machine).

It is worthy to note the Governor’s commitment at ensuring self-reliance and independence hence, his funding of the programme. His passion to instill the values of industry and hardwork is again demonstrated as in the case of the Ibom 3,000 youths programme.
From the feedback gotten, the MEGP has fulfilled Governor Emmanuel’s dream of a productive workforce, while reducing dependency on white-collar jobs, and political begging. It thus affirms Governor Emmanuel’s dream that the average Akwa Ibom youth should be an employer of labour and a creative thinker with an economy-driven mindset.

Already, His Excellency’s investment in the youth is paying off with more youths moving from ignorance to knowledge and enlightenment. Moreso, Small Scale Enterprises are booming more than ever and the returns are encouraging.

In no time, the Start-up and growing businesses birthed by the MEGP will create businesses that will generate 100,000 new jobs, and contribute to the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) revenue, while boosting economic activities in the State. All thanks to Governor Emmanuel whose investment in the future has began yielding in leaps and bounds.

INVESTMENT – AKSG TO BOOST INFO AT AIRPORT, TRAIN STAFF ON MULTI-LINGUAL

As part of measures to shore up the investment processes in the state, Akwa Ibom State Government is to set up Information centres at both the arrival and departure wings of the Ibom Air International Airport for the benefit of investors and tourists thronging into the State.

Additionally, Government is set to plunge into the training of Information Officers on multilingual for ease of business transactions with Chinese and Russian firms trooping into Nigeria and particularly Akwa Ibom State with the heightened investment-consciousness of the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration.

These are some of the programmes to be vigorously embarked upon by the state government through the Ministry of Information and Strategy during the 2022 fiscal year.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong disclosed these early today, while appearing before the Rt. Hon Uduak Odudoh-led House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation during the budget defence of the 2022 Capital Estimates of the Ministry.

He said with the commitment of government to successfully catapult Akwa Ibom into an investment hub in the sub-region, the Ministry of Information and Strategy is poised to float an information center at the Ibom airport, a major gateway into the state, where all relevant materials on the investment potentials of the state can be made handy to visitors while all enquiries are promptly attended to.

The State Information helmsman further stated that, it is the hope of the Ministry to ensure that, at least the first phase of the construction of the Corporate Headquarters of the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation, AKBC is commenced in 2022 as well as the development of the State Archives.

Making a case for the State Archives, Comrade Ini Ememobong said, with the importance of documentation of relevant government materials, it becomes expedient to develop an archive for the state as most important Information and documents are usually lost within 2 to 5 years if not properly preserved in an archiving system.

Other programmes budgeted for in the 2022 capital estimates include: the rehabilitation of the Government Printing Press; the the activation of the Goss Community Printing Press and Press Hall of the Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation (AKNC) as well as the Provision of high definition Public Address System and Multi-media equipment to further boost the information sector of government.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy said, for these Capital expenditure, the Ministry has made a budgetary provision of Eight Hundred and Eighty-one Million, Nine Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira in the 2022 fiscal year appropriation.

He commended the Finance and Appropriation Committee for the commitment and professionalism brought to bear in the handling of the budget defence and urged members to grant favourable consideration to the budgetary estimates to enable the Ministry attain its lofty goals and aspirations for the 2022 fiscal year.

Responding, the Chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Rt. Hon Uduak Odudoh, extolled the leadership style of Comrade Ini Ememobong acknowledging with appreciation the numerous innovations Comrade Ini Ememobong has brought into the Ministry since his assumption of office.

The State Information helmsman was accompanied to the budget defence by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Inyang Jameson, the General Manager of Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation, Mr. Umoette Umoette as well as the Management staff of the Ministry, Management of AKBC and management of AKNC.

UNITY IN DIVERSITY: A KEYNOTE ADDRESS
PRESENTED BY HIS EXCELLENCY,
MR. UDOM EMMANUEL, GOVERNOR OF AKWA IBOM STATE, AT A PUBLIC LECTURE ORGANIZED BY THE AREWA MEDIA INTERACTIVE AND DEVELOPMENT FORUM, AREWA HOUSE, KADUNA – NOVEMBER 4TH, 2021

PROTOCOL

Let me thank the leadership and members of the Arewa Media Interactive and Development Forum for having sufficient faith in the Nigeria Project, and sufficient hope in the unity of this great country, to build this bridge of unity at a time the monsters of tribalism and ethnicism are tearing our nation apart.

That you decided to organize this lecture with a theme that centers on our Unity in Diversity attests to your fealty and fidelity to our Nation, and your abiding conviction in its endless possibilities.

In the mood of our current national despair, heightened by insecurity on a level only seen in war time, you have lit a candle of hope, unity, and love. My prayer is that this flame should be fanned into an enchanting blaze of love that would light and soften the dark crevices of our Nation and bring forth a new dawn of hope anchored on unity and brotherhood for our country and our people.

Since 1995, you have painstakingly kept faith with the Nigerian Project. Fired by patriotic fervor, you have interrogated issues of deep and profound importance to our national development and have, to give vent to those beliefs, invited eminent Nigerians to speak on these critical issues.

I am convinced that most of the conclusions presented by the various speakers you had invited in the past, may have found space and corresponding execution by policy makers. I am therefore, honored to have been considered by you to be the Keynote Speaker at this year’s event. The theme of this year’s event, Unity in Diversity is apt, deeply reflective and speaks to the mood of the Nation.

For decades, the drumbeats of our Nation have filled and seared the ears about the fragility of our unity and the elasticity of the tolerance of our diversity. Some have prophesied the imminent demise of our Nation, so many scenarios depicting the coming Armageddon have been pushed, prognosticated and predicted. But in all of these, our Nation still remains intact. Though the contours of our unity may not be straight, though the lines of development may be zigzag, the tone and tenor of our discourse discordant and divergent, but the soul, the spirit and the identity of our Nation remain sacrosanct. And on this, all Nigerians of goodwill have come to a solid agreement.

The great and the revered Premier of the old Northern Region, the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir. Ahmadu Bello, captured this sentiment so eloquently and succinctly when he said, “Here in Northern Nigeria, we have people of different races, tribes and religions who are knit together to common history, the things that unite us are stronger than the things that divide us.”

In his Inaugural/Independence Address on the first day of October 1960, the inimitable Statesman, orator of repute and our first Prime Minister, the late Alhaji Sir. Abubakar Tafewa Balewa, left these words on marble: “We have acquired our rightful status, and I feel sure that history will show that the building of our nation proceeded at the wisest pace: it has been thorough, and Nigeria now stands well-built upon firm foundations.”

The sentiments expressed by these great Patriots and Statesmen were correct and they came from their hearts. Unfortunately, the very issues they spoke so eloquently about, our Unity in Diversity, have, instead of being our bulwark, become wedge issues, standing in the way to our unity and the definition of our common purpose as a untied, indissoluble Nation, shaped by common aspirations and hopes. They have unfortunately been exploited by the purveyors of divisive narratives, enlarged by the merchants of tribalism, and promoted to a level that has created a chasm of alienation amongst our people.

The foundations which were strong enough, during our struggles for independence, which, eventually helped secure our independence have proven to be too shallow and shaky to hold our Nation together and sustain our democracy without social tensions and fissures. We must rise to this reality and fortify those foundations with the bricks of faith, patriotism and love. We need new foundations to confront the challenges of today. Nigerians are inherently united. We believe in the sanctity of our Nation, but we need a galvanizing force to deepen the cords of unity. A few illustrations will suffice:

In 1996, in faraway Atlanta, United States, we showed the world what we are capable of when we come together as a united entity. No one gave us a chance in the semi-final football match against the mighty Brazilians and tournament favorites. With less than twenty minutes to the end of the match, we trailed Brazil by three goals to one. But because a united Nigeria is an unconquerable force, we stormed back to victory even after missing a penalty.

We went ahead to stun the world in the final and become the first African country to win a global football trophy at the Olympics. That feat was not achieved because of adequate preparation; it was achieved via unity of purpose, in spite of our inadequate and haphazard preparation. Hear what Sunday Oliseh, a defensive midfielder in that team, had to say about that victory, “Believe me, in my whole career as a soccer player, I think we’ve never had it so difficult to prepare for a tournament. We practically lacked in everything. We lacked in equipment, infrastructure, we lacked even in things as little as medical facilities…we lacked in food, we lacked in everything, so we were just like abandoned children.”

But because the mind always triumphs over matter, because attitude is more important than altitude, because conditions do not create success but success creates optimum conditions, that united team triumphed. Why did we succeed in Atlanta? Another member of that successful team, Victor Ikpeba, explains, “Nigeria is a very tribalistic country, we cannot run away from that…but when it comes to football, everybody puts aside the tribalism we have back home. Everybody becomes united.” When we are united, no foe can withstand us.

It was this same kind of unity that led to the success of our independence struggle. The late Governor Solomon Lar once reminded us that to obtain Nigeria’s independence, “We worked as patriotic Nigerians without emphasis on our differences to see the mission accomplished” – a sentiment Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe identified in an address to the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) at the Polo Grounds, New York City, July 19, 1959: “Each of our three Regions is vastly different in many respects, but each has this in common: that, despite the variety of languages and custom or difference in climate, all form part of one country which has existed as a political and social entity for fifty years. That is why we believe that the political union of Nigeria is destined to be perpetual and indestructible.”

Some gloomy theorists of democracy have said diverse groups cannot thrive in a democracy. They have therefore cherry-picked their evidence, citing close-knit societies like Japan, Germany, or even the United States. When they are told that the U.S. is as diverse as they come, they argue that it works in that North American country because it has a dominant Caucasian narrative. They often forget that the greatness of the U.S. derives from the resources of immigration and its black, Hispanic and Native American heritage that have enriched everything from its electoral practice to its human rights history, to its music and even cuisine. They seem to have different world views, different histories and cultural nuances. Yet they interact and enrich themselves in historic symbiosis without parallels anywhere. The point that democracy is an ideology of consensus does not detract from the concept of diversity. Britain dominated the world with its diversity. India is a great economic power despite its diversity.

So, Nigeria is a nation that is diverse, and beautiful as a coat of many colours. What tends to divide us should bring us together. Is it tribe, is it language, or is it food, or is it dance or is it religion? Take, for instance, the consumption of kola nut. Few know that it is grown in the Southwest, used for prayers in the East, and consumed for recreation in the North. It comes to life among the Yoruba, gives life in Igboland and is lively in jaws of the Hausa man. In the same way, a lot of our onions come from the far North; it enriches Ofe Nsalla in the East, Ewedu in the Southwest and Afang soup in my house in Uyo.

We quarrel over religion yet when a big business deal is hatched, no one asks why Ahmed praises Allah and Adewale shouts Hallelujah. Both of them are smiling to the same bank.

It was the same country that built a marvel of a pyramid from groundnut in Kano. Experts came from Malaysia to learn about palm produce in the South-South and South-East regions, respectively. And cocoa underwrote the prosperity of the Western Region. Oil was in the backdrop then. It is the same Nigeria, the same tribes, the same faiths, the same language, the same historical backgrounds, the same geography. So if I may ask, what changed?

We were glad when the late Maitama Sule orated on the floor of the United Nations, as we rejoiced when Wole Soyinka won the Nobel Prize for Literature. If we laugh together, we should also toil together.

In the rougher days of Boko Haram, the militants burned Churches and Mosques, and they slaughtered Muslims and Christians. Who were the soldiers fighting to save the whole of the country? We did not say it is a Northern fight, so no Southern soldier should go there. It was not a Fulani soldier or an Ibibio infantryman. It was the Nigerian soldier. When bullets are fired it does not bear a message on what tribesman it should fall. It hits a human, a Nigerian whatever the name of his God or the tribe or language he confesses.

But we still have more diversity than unity, and that is the problem. What happened to a Nigeria where a Southerner can win an election in Kaduna, or a Fulani man could win an election in Lagos? We have had it in the past. We can have it again. I am sure that a good number of those listening to me now must have heard of Umaru Altine, a Fulani man from Sokoto, who was popularly elected as the first Mayor of Enugu in 1952 and he stayed in office till 1958. The Western Region House of Assembly also had an Igbo man, Emmanuel Ebubedike, from Ozobulu in present day Anambra State, as the Representative of Ajeromi/Ifelodun/ Badagry Constituency. We can point to several other examples.

All of these now seem like a pipe dream as the last few years have seen our country more divided than at any other time in our recent history. What we see nowadays is a country where ethnic champions drive the narrative, and the cacaphony of discordant voices make it difficult for us to hear ourselves. This has been given expression in the numerous calls for restructuring, resource control and even an outright division of the country along ethnic and tribal lines.

Several reasons have been adduced for this state of affairs. Many individuals and groups have taken umbrage at the over-centralization of power at the centre, perceived marginalization of some parts of the country. These are sore points that give fillip to the agitations for balance and equity in the country. We cannot afford to run a country where some parts of our country feel marginalised or left out of the scheme of things as this is a potent threat to the unity of the country. We must ensure that there is equity and justice and that no part of the country is made to feel less of itself as this will definitely not augur well for our union.

Hence many have said we need a more equitable union, where no one feels shortchanged or short-circuited or left behind. A country where everyone seeks livelihood anywhere and anywhere without fear. We need a nation as a melting pot, where the identities remain but the flavours blend, where, as the first Stanza of our former National Anthem so emotionally enjoined “ though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.”

The problem, for most part, is the elite. The Nigerian elite stokes the hate between one part and another. And we are seeing them in the debate over VAT, restructuring, zoning, herdsmen and these are not too difficult issues to resolve. VAT calls for fairness between us. To restructure is for all to feel like the brother’s keeper. It ensures we all eat from the same pot and no one goes home hungry or deprived. Zoning means abiding by a formula that works for all.

It only takes the people to sit at a table and cross-fertilize ideas. You win some, I win some, and all of us become winners. There will be no zero -sum game. The part will become the sum and the sum will be like the part. The equation will be complete. As former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “It is better to jaw jaw than to war war.” But if one set must take everything, we will always remember our languages, our tribes, the aroma of our mother’s soup. Hate then replaces love, and handshakes will move beyond elbows.

The American democratic experiment that we romanticize today was not perfect, it took the elites, the founding fathers to correct the ills and gave the world a Constitution that is based on true federalism that has been copied and replicated all over the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, at the American independence on July 4th, 1776, the governing or legal instrument that shaped and organized the nascent Republic was based on the Articles of Confederation. As grand and impressively couched as the Articles were, there were, however, structural deficiencies in the instrument, which had hobbled the new nation from fulfilling the vision of her founding fathers.

The Constitutional Conference that took place in Philadelphia from May 25th to September 17th, 1787, finally came up with a new Constitution that established a True Federation.

Because the founding fathers were united by national interest over groupthink or group interest, today, America has subsumed all other passions and center them around what is popularly referred to here, as American Exceptionalism, which puts emphasis on what is in the best interest of America. Thus, from the East Coast to the West, from the Mid-West to the Plains or Rocky Mountains or Bible Belt, the South West and the Deep South, Americans have been conditioned and socialized to believe in the inalienable rights and creed of an exceptionally great nation founded under God to be the bastion of hope and an instrument for the advancement of the human condition.

Why can’t we create our own Nigerian Exceptionalism where emphasis would be placed on talents over geography, where the ethnicity, tribal affiliations, religious differences, all the elements of our diversity or homogeneity are subsumed within and around the ambit of the larger national interest. America has its roots in Protestantism; what is generally known as WASP, (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). Today, however, the original defining or schematic representation has given way to a national narrative of one nation under God. There are Muslims today in America, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, Confucians, Catholics and they all meld and weld in the tapestry of the American Exceptionalsim. Same can be done here, in our Nation.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, let me crave your kind indulgence to use a pithy but humorous illustration to wind down this lecture. A single parent had a son. Frequently, the boy would go up to him when he was with friends, and say, “Daddy, Daddy, I want to pee!” The father found this a little embarrassing and decided to devise a strategy that would be known only to the son and himself. He told the boy, “Whenever you want to pee, just come and tell me that you want to sing a song, and then you would go and pee.”

The son got used to the new arrangement. One day the dad had to travel and asked his brother and the boy’s uncle to come and take care of the child for him. In the night, the boy woke up his uncle and told him, “Uncle, I want to sing a song.” The uncle replied, “It is too late for you to sing a song. You will sing in the morning.” The boy went back and tried to sleep but could not. With his bladder almost bursting, he went back and begged his uncle to let him sing his song as he could not hold the song any longer. So? The exasperated uncle reluctantly obliged him and said, “You know it is late, so sing gently into my ears.” And he sang gently into his ears.

I brought that up because one of the major problems we have in this country is communication. We do not say what we mean, and we do not mean what we say. When many have told our nation that they want to sing songs of unity, they had ended up with groans of war. Agreed, that at some point in our history, we were misled by some of our leaders, like that man misled his son. Agreed that we have devised a register of communication that fails to represent our national intentions and we have ended saying one thing and meaning another thing. But after realizing that our mess has blocked the ears of our nation, must we continue with this ignoble attitude? Can’t we learn to sing a song and mean singing a melodious song of unity and then singing the National Anthem with fervor, patriotism, and a new meaning?

We must sit down and talk to ourselves, rather than talk at ourselves. We must listen to understand, rather than listen to respond. We must build bridges of unity rather than walls of division. We must realise that every part of our country is an equal stakeholder in the Nigerian project and work actively to harness the best of our diversity for the good of our country. There must be a level playing field and equal opportunities for all Nigerians, irrespective of where they come from or what language they speak. Development plans and projects of the government must also be spread evenly across the country so that a sense of fairness and justice will permeate the land. We must take deliberate steps to integrate ourselves and unify the country. One quick step we can take in this direction is a little tweaking of the format of the National Youth Service Corps. This was one of the instruments designed to unify our nation but which hasn’t quite achieved this purpose. I suggest that we make it mandatory for States to retain a certain percentage of youth corpers in its public service every year. This way, we would create employment and state civil services would be more multi-ethnic as unity is a creative process.

Also, the situation where any part of the country is denied commensurate benefits from resources harnessed from that part will only further alienate the people there and weaken our bond as a country. We must work to restore hope and confidence by actively ensuring that there is a sense of belonging and inclusion imbued in our citizens. Far too many of our compatriots identify more with their tribe and ethnic group than with our nation. We don’t need more Ibibios, or Fulanis, or Igbos, or Yorubas, or Ijaws, or Hausas. What we need is more Nigerians!

These are some of the things we must do, and which this Forum should promote and encourage as we seek to further strengthen the cords that join us as a country and as a people.

Let me close this lecture with my favorite Rudyard Kipling poem found in his book, Second Jungle: Now, this is the Law of the Jungle – as old and as true as the sky;

And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper,
But the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk,
The Law runneth forward and back—
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf,
and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack. – Dale Carnegie.

It is in unity that we can defeat our common foes. As the battle of Trafalgar Square was about to start in Britain, Lord Nelson heard that Admiral Collingwood and Captain Rotherham were not on good terms. He brought both of them together, placed their hands together, and pointed at the enemy ships on the horizon. Then he turned to look them in the eyes and said, “Look, yonder is the enemy.” Disagreement gave way to unity and they won.

Nigerians must be reminded that we do not need to see eye to eye, in order to walk hand in hand. Our enemy is on the horizon and we must hold our hands together and march on until that enemy is defeated. United no foe can defeat us. This is the Nigeria we must work to unveil. This is the narrative we should be weaving. If the elites or the founding fathers of America decided to manage and meld their diversity into what is known today the American Exceptionalism, we too, can weld and meld our diversity and create our own Nigerian Exceptionalism.

We have fought a Civil War once because we couldn’t manage these flaming passions. That is enough. It is now time to be civil with one another and use our diversity as an instrument of good over forces of attrition and division. Let the journey begin today, and let us all offer ourselves to serve and diligently so, in this New Team Nigeria. Permit me to end this piece by reminding us once more, of the very instructive words of our former National Anthem

Nigeria we hail thee
Our own dear native land
Though tribe and tongue may differ
In brotherhood we stand.

It is my sincere hope that we will all leave this place as harbingers of this message of unity, so we can begin the process of healing and reuniting our country, safe in the knowledge that whatever language we speak, whatever culture we espouse or whatever religion we practice, we are all Nigerians and we should all come together to build a united, peaceful and prosperous nation, so help us God.

I thank you for listening. May God bless us all, and may God bless our dear country Nigeria!

Akwa Ibom State Government set for strategic partnership with NGO’s.
…..Info boss calls for greater public participation in provision of social welfare.

This position was made known during a courtesy Visit by Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS) on the Hon Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong in his office on 1st November, 2021.

The Information Commissioner commended the Vision of ECEWS and the good works they have been doing in making the society a better place for all. He said, ” We need to grow the consciousness that people should find a way of helping others and not just themselves”

Comrade Ini Ememobong stressed the need for adequate publicity on the projects and programs of ECEWS, as the people need to hear more of positive stories as typified in what they do, compared to a world where negative stories are given wider publicity. He posited that as more “positive stories are documented, it can serve as inspiration to others”.

He encouraged beneficiaries of the social welfare of ECEWS to be more vocal and tell their stories more often, as these testimonies can go a long way to inspire others who feel disadvantaged.

Comrade Ememobong maintained that it is possible to create a safe and sane environment for our people to grow while alleviating poverty and eradicating diseases in our society. He pledged to willingness of the State government to partner with the organization.

Speaking earlier, The Chief Executive Officer of ECEWS, Mr Andy Eyo, intimated the Honourable Commissioner that the organization has been in existence for 20yrs , in all the South South and south East states of Nigeria, while listing its several engagement and partnership with the US Govt, USAID, World Bank, UNFPA, UNICEF and so on.

According to Mr. .Akan Eyo, Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS) is a leading indigenous Non Governmental Organization that promotes access to qualitative health care, education and providing economic strengthening opportunities for all.

Mr. Eyo, lauded the Hon Commissioner for recognizing the work that they do and for agreeing to partner with ECEWS. Furthermore, the ECEWS CEO, stated that Akwa Ibom State is in need of strong mentorship that will aid development and raise people whilst stating their are willing to collaborate with Government of the Day.

He said,” we believe in the Local Content of the Government and we think that we should raise organizations around by mentoring them to see the bigger picture.”

Mr Andy spoke extensively on the different projects ECEWS has embarked to includes: Covid 19 education project with UNICEF currently in Benue, Enugu, and Ebonyi, health care centre supported HIV testing/condom programs to ensure that people stay safe, highly contributory to the HIV response by passing informations through billboards and so on.

The leader of ECEWS congratulated Gov Udom Emmanuel for his strategic approach in developing the state, particularly in the aviation sector. In his words ,” Ibom Air has taken over every where and that has put Akwa Ibom state on the map.”

The courtesy visit featured the exchange of gifts items by the delegation from ECEWS and the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Strategy and was witnessed by the Director for Information, Akparawa James Edet; Assistant Director, Mr. Aniekan Ukpong among others.